Riggs earns prestigious American Degree

Kyle Riggs will be awarded one of the National FFA Organization’s highest honors, the American Degree, this fall.

It will be conferred at the National FFA Convention and Expo, which will be held from Oct. 24-27 in Indianapolis, Ind.

The degree is awarded to fewer than one percent of FFA members. It goes to those who have demonstrated the highest level of commitment to the organization and have made significant accomplishments in their supervised agricultural experiences.

Hailing from Firelands, Riggs is a 2017 graduate of the Lorain County JVS, where he studied industrial equipment mechanics.

He now attends the University of Northwestern Ohio in Lima, majoring in agricultural equipment and diesel technology.

“Being a part of the JVS and their FFA chapter helped me realize that this is exactly what I want to be doing for my career. The courses I took have prepared for the next steps in my life and also showed me that this isn’t just a hobby, that this is what I like to do and want to do for the rest of my life,” Riggs said.

He hopes to become an highway equipment road technician.

Beth Berthold, who advises FFA students at the JVS, said Riggs epitomizes what can be accomplished if you set a goal and work hard to obtain it. “He worked hard to be a person that students can look up to and can learn from. The students in the JVS FFA chapter and I are very excited to see Kyle walk across the stage and receive this amazing honor.”